


Happy Birthday

by Iced_Tea_Possibly



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Birthday, Dancing, F/F, Fluff, Gen, Implied Crush, No use of y/n, and unexplored feelings..., gender neutral reader, just a lot of wholesome vibes, kinda feminine reader, my second fic!, no real plotline here, wears a dress at some point
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-15 19:27:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28569246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iced_Tea_Possibly/pseuds/Iced_Tea_Possibly
Summary: The Doctor drops you back off at your earth home for a temporary visit, insisting you spend some time with your family for your upcoming birthday. However, she returns a few days earlier than promised with a surprise.
Relationships: Thirteenth Doctor/Reader, Thirteenth Doctor/You
Kudos: 12





	Happy Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who checked out my first fic that I posted a few weeks ago, every time I get a kudos email it makes me smile. This one is my second! :)
> 
> This fic has been fresh on my mind since watching Revolution of the Daleks the other day. Figured now'd be a good time to get it out into the world. No plotline or intense emotions here, just a fun little surprise birthday trip in the blue box. 
> 
> This one is gender neutral in terms of pronouns, but the reader does wear a dress at some point, just FYI if you don't vibe with that!
> 
> Hope you like it!

I walked back to my bedroom from the kitchen, holding a selection of snacks. I had a bowl of ice cream, a glass of juice and a packet of chips; prime choices for a midnight feast, in my humble opinion. I sat down at my desk behind the soft glow of my laptop's screen, browsing the internet and replying to my friends' messages.

My room was familiar and calming; yet it felt strange being there after all this time. It was the evening before my birthday, and I had been back at my parents' house for a few days. The Doctor thought it'd be beneficial for me to visit home for some family time, and I had reluctantly agreed.

"Your family misses you," she had insisted, walking around the console, pressing buttons and flicking switches. "Plus, your birthday only comes once a year. Better make it special."

I understood where she was coming from, but I was hesitant to agree.

"Not really," I had replied, leaning against one of the big crystals surrounding the console, following her with my eyes. "We could just hop in the TARDIS and fast forward to the next one."

"Hush," she mumbled, keeping her eyes on the console. "What's the fun in that?"

I shrugged. It was difficult, almost impossible, to argue with her reasoning.

"Just for a week. Go home. See your family," she stopped, and looked up and met my uncertain eyes.

"I'll be back! I promise."

I sighed. She had a point. It was good to see my family, albeit a little difficult to blatantly lie to them about where I had been. They were excited to hear about my travels, but I was nervous to tell the truth, so I had just told them I'd been staying with friends across the country and I decided to surprise them by coming home without telling them.

My mother had scolded me for spending money on a taxi to take me home from the airport rather than asking her for a lift, not knowing the Doctor had dropped me off down the street. Parking the TARDIS in the front yard would have been a little suspicious, after all.

"Just one week," she promised as I stepped out of the blue box.

I looked up at her. She was leaning in the doorway, giving me a warm smile.

 _That smile._ It always got me, and today was no exception. In fact, it probably provoked more feelings than usual, given the situation. I realised she was probably right about this, but it felt strange... almost wrong, to be leaving. I knew it was temporary, but something about it didn't sit right with me. It was more difficult than I would've liked to admit, and stirred up some complicated feelings.

Travelling with the Doctor very quickly became the new normal for me, and it's difficult to readjust to life on earth after seeing what's out there. It's just so dull in comparison - or at least, it was only for a few nights. I tried to snap out of the uneasy feeling the whole situation left in my chest.

"Thank you, Doctor," I said, awkwardly looking down at the ground and forcing a smile.

"I never break my promises, do I?" She asked, raising her eyebrow and giving me a reassuring smile.

I nodded. That was one thing I could definitely count on; she was a mysterious woman, but she never broke her promises.

"I'll see you in a few days, then. Have fun!"

And with that, she gave me a quick wave and gently shut the door before she changed her mind. It seemed, in a way, like she felt strange about this whole situation too; but I wasn't going to ask.

Within seconds, the TARDIS began to dematerialize, blowing a gust of wind through my hair. I squinted as it disappeared right in front of my eyes - this time without me on board.

Suddenly, I found myself standing on my street, alone. I looked around and took it all in. I had spent many years of my life living on this street, yet I couldn't feel the normally comforting familiarity. It's like there was a hole in my chest; as if deep down, I knew I didn't belong here. Not anymore, at least.

I pushed the feeling to the back of my mind and remembered what she'd said.

_Just one week. She'll come back. She always keeps her promises._

Reassurance is key. Then why did I still feel on edge?

I pushed the strange feeling to the back of my mind and started walking down the street to my house.

 _Home._ There's something special about it, whether I wanted to admit it or not.

My family was very surprised and pleased to see me, and in all honesty, I was happy to see them too. The front door was unlocked, so I went ahead and let myself in. The air was filled with the delicious scent of my mother's cooking, and their faces when I walked in unannounced were priceless. I was met with big warm hugs and many, many questions about my travels, which I tried very hard to skillfully dodge. Maybe she was right; this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Over the following days, I had slowly remembered what life was like before I met the Doctor. I visited extended family, took some walks through the nearby park and joined my parents on a drive down to the local shopping centre to get groceries and visit the post office. For once, it was strange to feel time passing slowly and in the right order - including all the uneventful stuff in between that the Doctor would normally skip. Like Sundays.

Oh, who was I kidding? I was bored out of my mind, really. I tried to make my days at home seem interesting, but no single day on earth could measure up to a trip in the TARDIS - even on a Sunday.

Fast forward to now. I'd always been a night owl, and being at home was no different. Most nights, I'd be in my room reading or browsing the internet until long after everyone else had gone to sleep. This was precisely one of those nights.

I sighed. The initial novelty of returning home had worn off, and although I wouldn't say it, I was itching to get out again and go on another adventure. A _real_ adventure, with _real_ excitement. Going to the supermarket and discovering a sale on chocolate just didn't quite make the cut.

I glanced at the clock - almost midnight. Tomorrow was my birthday, and my extended family were planning on visiting around lunchtime, and in the evening I had a dinner planned with friends. Nothing special, just painfully ordinary human stuff. I was looking forward to it, though. It felt good to spend some quality time with everyone at home.

I missed her. I would never admit it to her, but I did. I really missed her, even though it had only been a few days.

To be fair, how could I not? TARDIS-life is infinitely more exciting than human life, although the Doctor would try to disagree. She found us humans oddly fascinating as a species. It was as strange as it was endearing.

I took a bite of ice cream and continued browsing on my laptop. I replied to some of my friends' messages about tomorrow's plans and put on a movie to try and help me feel sleepy. I zoned out for a while, essentially burying my face in my laptop's screen for a while longer. Eventually, my eyelids started to feel heavy.

Deciding not to fight it, I closed my laptop and got into bed. I switched off the light and cocooned myself in my blankets to get warm. I stared at the ceiling for a minute, pondering life, wondering where she could be. I wondered what kind of eccentric planet she was on, and if she was having a good day - and felt a little sad that I wasn't by her side. For a second, I wondered if she missed me too, then quickly pushed that thought away. _Oh, shush._

I reminded myself why I was back here, that it was only temporary and that she'd come back for me. A little reassurance goes a long way, even if you're just talking to yourself. I then turned onto my side, closed my eyes and slowly dozed off.

~~~

_Knock knock._

My eyes immediately snapped open, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. I awoke abruptly to a knocking sound on my window. Or at least, that's what I thought. Was that real, or was that part of my dream?

I laid there for a second, my half-asleep brain trying to make sense of the situation. I'd just awoken from a deep sleep, and quickly tried to come to the conclusion that it was just my tired mind playing tricks on me.

_Knock knock._

Suddenly, I heard it again - and it sounded very close.

This time, my head shot up as well. I looked around my dark room, wide-eyed, heart feeling like it might jump out of my chest. Did somebody break in? I stayed silent for a moment, unsure of how to proceed.

"Hello?"

I heard a familiar voice call out from the other side of the glass. I sighed, then rolled my eyes. Technically, someone did break in.

 _It was her._ It had to be.

"Doctor?" I mumbled groggily.

"Ohhh, so I did get the right house," she uttered. I couldn't see her, but I could just hear the smile in her voice.

"Coming," I said, then quickly sat up and put on my slippers. I silently but swiftly made my way to the front door. I fumbled with the doorknob for a second, unlocked it, then swung it open. I was surprised - and yet not surprised at all - to find the Doctor standing right in front of me with a big grin on her face.

"Oh... hello," I said, still gathering my thoughts. "Wasn't expecting you back so early."

"I know, I know," she began. "Places to go, people to see. Thought I'd pop by. Mind if I come in?"

"No... no, not at all," I said groggily. She seemed like she was up to something, but I was too sleepy to think, so I just stepped aside to let her in. "You scared me. Why'd you have to knock on my window?"

"Well, I tried knocking on the front door, but no one opened up."

I glanced over at the clock as she pushed past me. "It's three in the morning. Everyone's sleeping. Besides, can't you use your sonic?"

"It doesn't do wood."

"What do you mean, it doesn't _do_ wood?"

"It doesn't have a setting for wood. Never invented one, not sure why really. Maybe I should get onto that."

I shrugged. From the first day I travelled with the Doctor, I quickly learned that some questions just lead to more questions. No wood, fair enough.

She walked around the living room, carefully observing the picture frames, plants and other quaint decorations around the house.

"Is this where you live?" She asked inquisitively, although she already knew the answer.

"Yeah, this is my parents' house."

"Interesting."

"What are you doing here at this hour?" I asked, my half-asleep brain still trying to make sense of the situation.

"Well, it's your birthday, isn't it?" She asked, whipping around to look at me. "I figured you can have your family time tomorrow. What do you say to a spontaneous adventure to celebrate?"

My heart almost skipped a beat at that, and I could feel a smile tugging at the corner of my mouth.

"Always," I exclaimed softly, trying to mask how truly excited I was to hear that statement. "Yeah. I'd love to, absolutely."

"Brilliant," she beamed, her face lighting up immediately. She marched over to me and grabbed me by the arm, leading me out the front door before I could get another word out.

"Let's not waste any time then," she exclaimed, using her free arm to pull the door shut behind us. "You'll love it. I can get you back before your human plans. Don't worry."

I could see over the fence that she had parked the TARDIS right outside the gate, and we were heading straight for it. While I had no idea where we were going, I could feel the excitement bubbling. Wherever it was, it was bound to be good, because she seemed pretty excited too.

It had only been a few days, but I'd really missed this. I'd really missed _her._

"Wait," I said as she pushed open the TARDIS door. She loosened her grip on my arm and glanced back at me over her shoulder with a quizzical look in her eyes.

"Where are we going? I mean, it's late, I'm not dressed properly, I'm..." I mumbled, not quite sure what I was trying to ask. I was very surprised at her spontaneous offer of a trip, and I wasn't about to say no, but I had questions. Understandably, I'd say.

"It's a surprise," she said very matter-of-factly, pulling me into the TARDIS. "Can't I keep a secret sometimes?"

"I-I suppose so," I uttered, softly closing the TARDIS door behind me, still confused.

The Doctor was full of secrets, and over time I'd gotten used to not getting many answers out of her - but I thought it was worth asking. She let go of me and removed her coat in a swift movement, hanging it up by the door and making her way to the console. I looked down and realised I was still wearing my pyjamas, and I let out a sigh. Wherever we were going, I hoped there wouldn't be a dress code.

I looked back up to take it all in. The soft orange glow of the crystals surrounding the console, the gentle humming of the TARDIS and of course, the Doctor excitedly pressing buttons and flicking switches. A feeling of contentment almost immediately washed over me. It felt like coming home.

"Do I get a hint? Forwards or backwards?" I questioned, following her to the console as she bounded around it like an excited puppy.

"Forwards," she said, eyes focused on the controls. "That's it now. No more questions."

With that, she flicked a switch and set the TARDIS in motion. I couldn't help but immediately burst into a smile. It felt so good to get going again, and my heart felt full - even if it was a spontaneous trip in the middle of the night in my pyjamas.

"I've missed this," I blurted out, the words escaping my lips. At least I stopped myself from saying I missed _you_ , which would've been a more accurate representation of my feelings.

She looked up from the console, meeting my gaze, and returned the smile.

"Me too."

I quickly diverted my gaze back down to the floor in the hope she wouldn't see my face turning a bright shade of pink. Whoops.

"There is a bit of a dress code," she uttered, breaking the brief moment of silence and promptly returning her focus back to the console.

_Oh no._

"I've left something in your wardrobe in your room. You didn't think I'd let you go in your pyjamas, did you?" she hinted, gesturing towards the stairs. "Last time I sent you into the TARDIS wardrobe, we almost lost you. We've got somewhere to be in a hurry today, so I've just gone ahead and put it in your room."

 _We're in a time machine, but fair enough,_ I thought to myself, making sure not to accidentally say it out loud. She was already mocking me for getting lost in the TARDIS, and that was enough.

To be fair, she wasn't wrong. The TARDIS wardrobe had more racks than a department store, with clothing to suit all sorts of climates and occasions. She'd sent me in there once to grab a winter coat when we'd landed on a snow-covered planet, and it took me a whole hour to find what I needed and return to the console room. At one point, I wasn't sure if I'd ever make it back out.

I thanked her with a quick nod, and without question, I headed up the stairs to go investigate.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

In my wardrobe, I found a beautiful long minty-green dress. It was covered in frilly bits and a subtle pattern of flowers and vines, and had shoes to match. It was extravagant yet subtle, and radiated soft, feminine vibes. I lifted up the coathanger and softly stroked the fabric, quietly marvelling at how soft it was. The floral pattern had a velvety feel to them. Whoever made this dress clearly put a lot of love into it.

I happily changed out of my pyjamas and into the beautiful outfit in front of me. It was as pleasant to wear as it was to look at, and it fit perfectly. It was not something I'd really worn before, but I really liked it.

 _These clothes really suit me,_ I thought to myself. _Who would've thought?_

I had to admit, it was pretty fun to get dressed up in something I wouldn't usually reach for. Although, to be fair, I don't think I'd seen this type of outfit before at all; or at least not in the 21st century.

I had a look in the mirror and quickly fixed up my hair the best I could. The change of outfit did bring up more questions in my brain of where we could possibly be going. Was it a party? Was it on earth? She mentioned it'd be forwards in time - but _when?_

I looked at myself in the mirror and gave the person on the other side a quick smile. We shared a look of contentment and genuine happiness. It was good to see.

Wasting no time, I turned and made my way back down the corridor to the console room. My shoes made a satisfyingly cool sound with every step I took on the floor, and I felt confident, excited. I'd had my fair share of birthday parties and birthday dinners throughout my life, but I had no idea what I had coming this time. It was as exciting as it was nerve-wracking.

I entered the room and walked back down the steps with a new-found confidence. The TARDIS was no longer in flight; she had stabilised somewhere, but I had no idea where - or when. The Doctor still had her full focus on the console, back turned to me, unaware that I'd entered the room.

I cleared my throat in an attempt to get her attention, and she jerked her head around, immediately breaking into a smile upon seeing my change of outfit.

"Oh, look at you!" She exclaimed, looking me up and down. I put my hands on my hips in an awkward attempt to strike a pose. Although I was no good at posing, I had to admit that I did feel pretty comfortable in my skin. It was a step up from the pyjamas I was wearing a few minutes ago, to say the least.

Of course, getting the Doctor's approval was the icing on the cake.

"I like it," were the only words I was able to get out. I'd never really been good with words, but I figured she understood.

"It...It suits you," she uttered, gesturing to the whole outfit. "It looks great. I was hoping it'd be your size."

"It fits perfectly," I assured her, awkwardly placing my hands behind my back. "Are you getting changed too?"

"Nah. I'm just wearing this," she said, gesturing at her classic rainbow stripe top, blue trousers and yellow suspenders outfit. "I sort of fit in wherever I go."

I nodded. She was right; people rarely questioned her attire, somehow.

"Fair enough. Now, do I get to know where we are?" I asked, glancing at the doors and wondering what kind of world was waiting for us behind them.

She gave me a silent smile, gesturing towards the doors. I walked over in curious silence and she followed, putting her coat back on and turning towards the door. She held her hand on the doorknob, then looked back at me over her shoulder with a huge grin that lit up the whole room.

"Happy birthday," she exclaimed, then swung the doors open. Beyond the doors was a hallway with marble floors, opening up into a huge ballroom filled with people in fancy dress. There was music, happy chatter, and the majority of the crowd was dancing. I was immediately taken aback.

My jaw dropped as I slowly stepped out of the doors, absorbing the electric energy that hung in the air. The Doctor stepped out after me, softly shutting the door behind us. She looked very pleased with herself.

"We're on a planet called Kleb, about 2000 years into your future. This is the royal residence," she explained, hands on her hips. "Pretty fancy place - you don't get to come here every day. Private party to celebrate the engagement of the princess. Pretty impressive, right?"

I nodded, looking around in wonder.

"Some things never change. Humanity loves to party, and some parties are very prestigious. Happy birthday," she repeated, placing her hand on my shoulder. I jumped a little, not expecting her sudden touch, especially in the middle of my bewildered culture-shock moment.

"Thank you," I said softly as I marvelled at our surroundings.

I'd lost track of how long I'd travelled with her, yet the amazing trips she came up with never ceased to amaze me. This was no exception.

"Well, come on then," she smiled, "Let's go join the festivities."

\---------------------------------------------------------------

I walked into the massive hall, the air filled with voices and music. All around me were people making happy conversation and dancing the night away with one another, twirling around on the smooth marble floor. 

Everyone was dressed in beautiful frilly ball gowns and tuxedos, and seemed to move so effortlessly and with such grace that it looked like a scene out of a movie. For a second, I caught myself wondering if any of it was real. Half an hour ago, I was asleep in my bed; now I'm on another planet at a prestigious party.

"Excuse me ma'am, are you on the guest list?" An unfamiliar voice barked from another direction. I jolted my head around, and a tall, stern-looking man was staring me down. I looked at him, wide-eyed.

"I, uh..." I began, tripping on my words.

Truthfully, I didn't know the answer to his question, but I figured _I don't know_ probably wasn't the right answer in this situation.

"I didn't see you enter the premises," he said, suspiciously eyeing me. "This event is restricted to the guest list. Didn't sneak in through the back, did you?"

I swallowed nervously, my brain anxiously running through potential answers that wouldn't get me arrested on an alien planet.

Then, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Yes! Yes we are," the Doctor's voice said confidently. She startled me a little, with her voice being right next to my ear, but I felt a feeling of immediate relief wash over me that came with her presence.

I glanced over and saw her fumbling with her coat, pulling out her psychic paper and confidently flashing it to the guard.

"I'm the Doctor, and this is my plus one."

The man raised his eyebrows and leant in to observe the invitation, then relaxed his stern look.

"Oh, yes, of course," he said, straightening up his posture. "So sorry, ma'am. Enjoy the festivities. My apologies."

The Doctor smiled proudly to herself, folding the psychic paper back into her coat pocket. She offered me her elbow.

"Shall we?"

I happily took her elbow and we strolled forward, crossing the room together, soaking up the festive atmosphere of the party.

The room was softly lit, making it a bright and inviting space. The walls were covered floor to ceiling in intricate pastel paintings of landscapes, flowers and galaxies, blending together beautifully. The ceiling seemed like it was a mile high, topped off with a gorgeous dome-shaped roof lined with windows opening up to the vast night sky boasting five moons and millions of stars. It was a good thing I had my arm linked in with the Doctor's, otherwise I might've fallen over from how distracted I was by the beauty of the whole place.

We settled in a rather quiet corner, watching the dancers from a distance.

"Not too bad for a birthday surprise, eh?" she said, arms folded proudly.

"I wasn't even expecting you to show up," I uttered. "Let alone this."

"Hey, I can have some secrets," She scoffed, but I could see her smiling out of the corner of my eye.

"You've got many."

She looked down at the floor and nodded. She looked like she was thinking about something.

"No fun in spoiling your birthday surprise. Had to think of something so you wouldn't catch on to my plans," she said, smoothly covering her tracks. "Plus, I wanted you to have some family time. It's important."

"I know," I said hesitantly. "It's been good spending some time at home."

"That's how it should be," she agreed. "Appreciate your friends and family. Don't take them for granted."

Her words came from a place of genuinity, but I could detect a hint of sorrow in her voice. I'd never asked, but she'd never made any mention of a family member before. I decided not to ask - at least not on this particular night.

In that moment, something overcame me, and I reached out and tugged on the end of her sleeve. Her head snapped up.

"Do you want to dance?" I asked, trying not to stumble on my words.

There was a moment of silence.

_Oh no. What have I done? Why did I ask that?_

"Me? Oh, I can't dance," she dismissed, scrunching up her nose.

"Neither can I," I assured, feeling a pang of dissapointment, but determined not to give up so quickly. "You know me, I've got two left feet. But hey, we can try, can't we?"

She was silent for another moment, a smile tugging at her cheeks. She diverted her gaze back to the floor, but I could see her thinking.

"Okay..." 

I clasped my hands together and gasped softly in surprise.

"Just this once, on this special occasion," she said, shaking a finger at me. "Don't tell the others; I'll never hear the end of it."

I nodded, grinning.

_Victory._

I certainly wasn't expecting her to agree to my request. Before I could say anything in response, she grabbed me by the wrist and we walked right onto the floor with the confidence of two people who can _definitely_ dance. 

The crowd parted slightly as we joined, and I could feel her grasp on my wrist loosen and then slip away. I turned around, not entirely sure where she'd gone.

Before I knew it, I found myself standing in the middle of the floor. The air was electric and energised, and in that moment, all the worries in the world seemed to leave my mind. I thought I'd lost her for a second in the sea of people, but then I turned around and saw her.

She was dancing. I'd never seen her dance until now; she flailed her arms into the air above her freely and spun around in a circle, so quickly that I wasn't even sure her feet were touching the ground.

She had the biggest smile on her face. She looked so happy, so content, so _free._

Those eyes of hers carried thousands of years of stories and wisdom and hardship, but in this moment, they seemed so carefree.

My heart felt warm. I'd never seen her like this; but it brought me a sense of peace that I don't think I'd ever felt before. She always had so much on her mind, and there was a lot she never spoke about. She _deserved_ to feel happy and carefree, even if just for a moment.

She took a step towards me, and her gaze met mine, sending a flutter through my chest. Suddenly, the air seemed a lot more electric than it was before.

"C'mon then," she shouted over the voices and music, and offered me her hand.

At that point, my brain short-circuited, and auto pilot took over.

"Oh... sure," I mumbled, taking her hand and stepping into her bubble as she continued to dance. 

I was hyper aware of her grasp on my hand; it was soft yet firm, both as a way to guide me and as a way not to lose me in the crowd.

Subconsciously, I began to mirror her movements. I put my foot forward, then back again; they seemed to glide along the slick floor effortlessly. My free arm flailed in the air, somewhat in sync with the music, or so I hoped. I can't guarantee we looked very graceful and I'm sure we were getting some stares, but we were having too much fun to care.

Still holding a firm grasp on my wrist, she twirled me into a circle. Me being the uncoordinated person I am, I stumbled for a second, but quickly found myself being stablised by her free arm around my waist, pulling me closer. My heart skipped a beat, whether it was due to almost stumbling or our sudden, unintentional closeness, I couldn't tell.

I brought my head back up and our eyes met again, and we immediately burst into laughter at our lack of dancing skills. Her hand dropped from my waist but the other remained on my hand as we continued moving our feet to the music. Ironic how dancing is generally all about coordination, and that's the one thing I was lacking.

And thus, we continued dancing for a while in between the whirlwind of people, under a beautiful night sky centuries older than the one I was used to. For the first time in a long time for both of us, we lived in the moment, untroubled and joyously moving our bodies to the music. We soaked up every good feeling, every smile and every bad dance move, and just had fun.

After a solid, borderline chaotic dance session, I started to make my way back out of the crowd and returned to the quiet spot in the corner.

I turned around to see the Doctor following closely behind me, stumbling out of the crowd, still grinning from ear to ear. I was in that same boat, and very happily so.

"That was a lot of fun," I exclaimed, breathing heavily and leaning myself against the wall. I wasn't used to this type of movement, and had to catch my breath. She nodded, leaning against the wall next to me and running her hand through her hair.

"It's been a long time since I've done that," she uttered between breaths.

"You said you couldn't dance," I said, surprised. "That was really good."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes.

I looked around, and noticed a few other partygoers staring at us. It's something I'd gotten used to over time, but this time it was probably due to our less-than-stellar dancing. They were probably wondering who we were and who on earth invited us to this very fancy occasion.

 _Dance like no one is watching,_ as the saying goes - and we certainly did.

"You can't honestly tell me that was good dancing," she blurted out. "But it was pretty fun, I have to admit."

"Hey, we had fun. That's what we're here for, right?" I smiled. Fun was an understatement, but it was the best word I could come up with in the moment.

"Just once though. Don't ask for it again," she nodded, straightening up her posture and pushing her hair behind her ear.

I looked at her and smiled. I'd really missed her and her shenanigans; the spontaneity of this whole outing was thrilling. Unexpected adventures are sometimes the best ones. I was so happy I'd asked her to dance despite my initial hesitation. 

"One time was all I needed," I assured, pleased that I'd managed to convince her. "I won't tell anyone."

"Good, good," she said, straightening up her coat and giving me a warm smile.

"Thank you Doctor," I said gratefully. "Really. This is the best surprise I could've asked for."

I meant it. I was still wallowing in the feeling of pure, unchained joy - and I probably would be for the coming days, and I was fine with that.

"Couldn't let your birthday go by without doing anything special for you," she said, playfully shoving me in the shoulder with the palm of her hand. "It's a special day. Gotta do something special. That's what friends are for, right?"

I nodded, straightening my posture, and playfully shoving her back. _Yeah._ _Friends._

"I made you dance," I teased, rather pleased with myself.

"Not a word," she uttered, a hint of embarrassment evident in her voice.

"My lips are sealed," I reassured her, and leant back against the wall, soaking up every positive feeling surging through me in that moment.

As we get older, I'd found that our birthdays become more and more dull; and that's just part of aging. A day that was once filled with excitement surrounding birthday parties, cake and presents just becomes another reminder of your mortality.

However, this night was a memory I would be sure to cherish forever. After all, it's not every day that you get to join a dancing ball on an alien planet in the future - or see the Doctor's rather stellar dance moves.

I looked up at the multiple moons through the dome in the ceiling and promised myself then and there that I'd never take my blessings for granted, not even for a day. _I am so lucky._

 _Happy birthday,_ I whispered to myself; _and we were only just getting started._

**Author's Note:**

> This was only meant to be around 3500 words but I got carried away, whoops..!
> 
> If you have any prompt ideas I'd love to hear them :)
> 
> Thanks for reading if you made it this far!!


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